Tuesday, March 1 2005 15:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ranchi: The BJP-led NDA today (Mar 1, 2005) formally staked its claim to form the Government in Jharkhand, submitting a list of 41 MLAs - all the 36 MLAs of the alliance along with five Independents - to Governor Syed Sibtey Razi.

''We needed 41 MLAs out of 81 for a majority and we have provided it to his excellency,'' Inder Singh Namdhari, president of NDA (National Democratic Alliance) ally JDU (Janata Dal United), told waiting reporters after the meeting.

He said the Independent MLAs listed were Sudesh Mahato and Chandra Prakash Chowdhary (both AJSU), Madhu Kora (rebel BJP), Haricharan Rai and Enos Ekka.

According to BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) national vice-president Babulal Marandi, who was part of the NDA delegation, the Governor said that he would let his decision known tomorrow.

Arjun Munda, who was re-elected the BJP legislature party president yesterday, also accompanied the delegation.

BJP State president Raghuvar Das said the Governor told the delegation that he would invite the NDA to form the Government after satisfying himself ''in his own way'' that the alliance has the required number of MLAs.

''We have told the Governor that whatever way he satisfies himself should be transparent,'' Das said.